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Modeling in General
General discussions about modeling topics.
computer in your hobby room?
TB2
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Ontario, Canada
Member Since: June 13, 2005
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Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008 - 06:24 PM UTC
I've recently set up a dedicated modelling room, and the one computer we have is in our office. So I'd like to (at some point in the near future) get one for my hobby room. How many of you have a computer in your modelling room and how do you use it for reference? Do you pull up a pic on screen and use that? Or do you print it? Not sure if I should get a laptop or PC? Suggestions on what to get and how to use it would help. Thanks.

Tarok
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Victoria, Australia
Member Since: July 28, 2004
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Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008 - 06:36 PM UTC
I have a laptop for work purposes which now also has all my modelling stuff (incl references) on. As such the laptop is often in my hobbyroom - and makes it easier when SWMBO decides to relocate my hobby room to another room in the house (happens more often than you would think)
Also means I can check hobby references when my boss thinks i'm working
Glue_Huffer
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British Columbia, Canada
Member Since: December 15, 2007
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Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008 - 07:02 PM UTC
My computer room is also my hobby room is also my bedroom.

It sucks living in a bachelor apartment.
CReading
#001
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California, United States
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Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008 - 07:23 PM UTC
My computer is on the desk in the workroom. There is definitely a drawback to having it so accessible! Often times I find myself trolling through WW2 related photo sites and model related forums when I should be concentrating on what I am building.
Having it so near makes great excuses for procrastinating on the mundane parts of the hobby such as Tiger road wheels etc.
Of course I'm not very disciplined and am distracted easily when bored
Cheers,
Charles
MrMox
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Aarhus, Denmark
Member Since: July 18, 2003
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Posted: Monday, February 04, 2008 - 07:24 PM UTC
Nope, i have too much dust to have a computer permanently in there as the room is used as a workshop for a number of things including working with wood.

But I have a very old thinkpad that i sometimes set up and uses to surf for referances.

Cheers/Jan
KoSprueOne
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Myanmar
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 05:26 AM UTC
I have my computer in a different room for the same reason. For reference I prefer print, anyway. However, this print material is limited so I'll look at the web. I rarely do both at the same time.

If you plan to get a computer in your bench area, then a dust cover for the whole set up is what I will recommend.








Slug
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Alberta, Canada
Member Since: September 02, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 05:30 AM UTC
In my "mans room" , I have a desk for modeling and a desk for computer. If I need to reference a pic I can also do some work on the computer desk. I keep this to a minimal, I need elbow room for playing computer games,[:::] and I have better lighting at the model desk

-Bruce
Javlin813
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Illinois, United States
Member Since: September 14, 2005
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 06:14 AM UTC
I think it's a great idea. My computer is on the opposite side of my house. Having it in my hobby work room would save a lot of time and make things so much easier. As for the how I use my computer, I generally just pull up the image or whatever I looking for on screen and study it that way. About the only thing I print out would be reviews or text heavy material.

Scott
Hollowpoint
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Kansas, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 06:44 AM UTC
My computer desk is right next to my bench for a few years now and dust hasn't been much of a problem so far. I just get the vacuum and the compressor going every so often and blow the stuff out.

I have to agree with Charles, though, about spending time on the personal confuser when I should be working on a project (like right now!).
sgtreef
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Oklahoma, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 07:02 AM UTC
Have one Their but MB has bit the Bullet I will get a new one and rebuild it to use as a Reference one .

Plus have Cox come and install me a Line so I can get on also up their.

My main one is down stairs.

Hollowpoint
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Kansas, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 07:27 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Have one Their but MB has bit the Bullet I will get a new one and rebuild it to use as a Reference one .

Plus have Cox come and install me a Line so I can get on also up their.

My main one is down stairs.




You don't need another cable line and modem. Just put a wireless router on the current cable modem and be sure to encode it or all the neighborhood will be on your system. Much cheaper than a second cable modem setup.
captfue
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Texas, United States
Member Since: September 02, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 07:56 AM UTC
I have a dedicated hobby computer in my shop. Would be lost if I had to stop and pull up referrance matieral from another computer ib another room. I' lucky that my shop is large enough to keep a lot space between it and my work area.
Bigskip
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Member Since: June 27, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 01:23 PM UTC
Wireless network and a laptop means i have computer in Workroom, paint shop anywhere i like :-)

Andy
slodder
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 04:08 PM UTC
I have a small bench in our spare room with a PC next to it. At my main bench I 'had' an old laptop. The laptop died and it stinks not having it there. Running back and forth from research to bench gets old.
sgtreef
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Oklahoma, United States
Member Since: March 01, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 05:00 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Have one Their but MB has bit the Bullet I will get a new one and rebuild it to use as a Reference one .

Plus have Cox come and install me a Line so I can get on also up their.

My main one is down stairs.




You don't need another cable line and modem. Just put a wireless router on the current cable modem and be sure to encode it or all the neighborhood will be on your system. Much cheaper than a second cable modem setup.



A have 2 Routers but both Cable ones.

Cox never did like you having a Router back in the day.

Would ask is there a Router on this setup.

I would have to say Yes and they would say check your Router connection.

Which was good.

Linksys all the Way.

I will look into that Wireless one I forgot about them as I have not used a Router in Years.

Thanks Bob.
UNITEDSTATESNAVY
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Idaho, United States
Member Since: July 07, 2007
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Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 10:37 PM UTC
My pc is within 10ft of my modeling area...great for research and inspiration, I airbrush in the garage or downstairs kitchen if too cold.
Augie
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British Columbia, Canada
Member Since: May 13, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 - 09:19 AM UTC
I had my old computer in my model room, until someone decided to permanently 'borrow it'. Heh, heh, heh it was only an old 433MHz, so no real loss there.
I was offered a 1.6GHz with panel screen for about $500 from my local computer dealer. I'm still thinking about it, but will probably wait until I have more in the bank. Otherwise my puter is at the other end of the house and a little long to keep going back and forth to refer to.
rfeehan
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Kansas, United States
Member Since: July 20, 2003
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Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 02:41 AM UTC
I remember the no router days I used to keep a special cat 5 cable so I could bypass my router when calling in issues with them.

However the cable/dsl providers now provide routers themselves and they are much more router friendly these days. You shouldn't have any reason to have the expense of two cable modems not to mention if you use a router you can share your image files and other resources like printers.

My workshop is also a small tv room and my office. So I have several PCs in here at any given time. My main PC, my work laptop when I am needing it and my webserver. No dust issues but I try and keep things really clean and I cover up the PCs when I paint.
okdoky
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Scotland, United Kingdom
Member Since: April 30, 2007
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Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 04:22 AM UTC
Hi there

I would love to have my PC in my workshed for all the reference pics, plans and access to internet, but I am worried most about cold and condensation leading to problems. I have an old TV in the shed which has not been a problem other than to distract from the progress on builds.

I also have a very messy computer table, so it is likely that I would just transfer more clutter and confusion into the already cluttered and busy workshed.

Nige
vanize
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Texas, United States
Member Since: January 30, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 04:26 AM UTC
my "office" serves dual purpose as my computer room and hobby room.

Sometimes I work from home, so it is semi-legit to call it an office, right?

Anyway, I do take especially dusty jobs (like using the dremel tool or sanding resin) out to the garage.

I would advise against a laptop in a hobby room unless you keep your hobby area much cleaner than I keep mine. One major problem laptops have is overheating, and dust from the hobby stuff is going to make that much worse.

Also, it is much more fragile and doesn't manage to command the space the less movable PC monitor and keyboard do, so you are likely to start getting too close to it when you are working. Spill paint on a normal PC keyboard, nothing happens besides it looks a little cruddy. Spill paint on a laptop and chances are you are out of a laptop or at least facing a very costly repair bill.

Laptops are very convenient, but most people do not treat them as the fragile machines they really are. Ironically, people generally will be much more careful when moving around a regular PC, which is actually a lot more robust and harder to break.

Plus you can get a much larger screen on a normal PC, which can be very handy for scrutinizing those reference pictures from the web!

ejclide
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Ohio, United States
Member Since: January 03, 2008
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Posted: Monday, February 18, 2008 - 10:54 AM UTC
Here's my table/desk. I'm at school, so while I am lucky to have my own place right next to campus, I do share half of my bedroom with my roommate, and my stuff is rather compacted. I'll tell you what though, I really regret not having my computer so much when I modeled at home. when I go home for the summer, I will definitely have my laptop down in my basement at my "real" table with me. don't have a pic of my setup at home, sorry. what I do for this table at school though is I generally work in front of the computer so I can leave homework on the other part of the desk, and if I have to whip out the airbrush, I have a sheet I throw over that raised part of the left side of my desk, and it keeps everything clean.
Notice the significant other wondering why I'm taking a picture.




One other note, having your bed right next to your desk and modeling table doesn't help you get up and be productive in the morning...
 _GOTOTOP